The Rain
by Penelope Wendy Bing
Summary: There's no difference between the rain and the tears, I found. They both just want to caress you.


**A/N**- I decided to try my hand at a free verse today, and I was both pleased an displeased with the results. I thought it was enjoyable enough, but read more like prose. Also, I can't get normal page breaks to work between stanza, so that's what the letters between brackets are. Anyway, I don't own the Hunger Games, which I'm sure is a huge shock. To absolutely no one. Enjoy!

Mama always said

"Hang out the clothes to dry."

But, Mama, dear,

what about the rain?

The sunny yellow dress hanging on the line,

Worn to my execution,

my "reaping"

now soaked soaked by the rain

of tears.

[t]

Because the rain washes away

my memories,

and now I want to rest.

[h]

The glitter of lights

and

the flash of painted smiles

fell on my smiling face

and I couldn't find myself.

It was an act. Always an act.

They can't just kill you,

They make you pretend

and lie to put on a good show

and kill yourself.

On my last free night I stood on the roof

in the rain.

[e]

I let the rain wash me away,

for I was already dead,

and the rain can only refresh.

[r]

The sun glinted off the horn,

blinding in my eyes.

The world held its breath and

I turned to run.

I hesitated then, as the gong sounded,

and death filled my eyes, nose, ears.

I waited for rain to wash me clean.

[a]

And the rain let me cry, Mama.

The rain doesn't judge.

It just hides your tears and cleans your heart.

[i]

I was always alone

Until he came.

He was smiles and trustworthiness,

And he made my world bright,

so bright.

I thought I was safe with him.

He was my friend,

but the rain soon fell on his

empty

corpse.

[n]

The rain washed off his blood,

And fell on District 1 too. I killed her for him,

But now the rain felt cold.

[t]

What had I done?

The blood wouldn't wash from my hands.

I saw it there forever and always.

[h]

So I lay down

and cried

and thought.

I chose who I was then.

I learned my truest self,

and the rain fell on my smile.

There's no difference between the rain

and the tears, I found.

They both just want to caress you.

[e]

And the rain washed away

My pain for a day,

[r]

And the rain washed away my fear.

I hid myself away,

Mama.

You understand,

I know you do. I couldn't kill.

Not again.

My life was not worth that torture

of guilt.

And the rain forgave me the way the world never would.

[a]

For the rain falls on all, even killer like me.

If you can learn to turn up your face

the rain will fall for you too.

[i]

My world became beauty.

I thought about what you said.

All my fear,

my hate,

my pain,

I hung them out to dry.

My metamorphosis

made the world good again

for me.

I laughed in the sun and forgot the rain.

[n]

But even the sun can't heal forever.

Darkness encroached

and the sun left me behind like a fickle friend.

[t]

The rain did not abandon me that night.

It rattled outside of my cave.

_He _appeared.

___He _was not like my friend.

_____He _chased me and I ran from_____him_

through the dark,

until I tripped,

fell and the rain poured on my prostrate body.

[h]

The rain couldn't help me now,

It couldn't save my body, at least.

But maybe it could still save my heart.

[e]

_________He _pulled me up,

Right off the ground,

and I pitied_________him._

Mama, I did.

_____________He _never felt the rain.

_______________He _never put himself out to dry.

_________________He _never knew

how the rain can let your know yourself.

I looked into_________________his _eyes.

There was no joy there and

the rain dripped like loathing on___________________ his _cheeks.

[r]

The rain washed away my hate,

but___________________he _wouldn't let it cleanse his_______________________._

And the rain can only heal you if you let it.

[a]

I didn't mind,

Mama,

as_______________________he _plunged his knife into me.

I set my wounds

out to dry

And prayed in the rain that ___________________________he'd _do the same.

But I could see in his rain or tear streaked eyes, Mama,

_____________________________He'd _live or die hating himself,

And the rain couldn't help _______________________________him._

[i]

And the rain washed away my guilt and anger,

As my blood swept from my body,

And the rain washed away my stains.

[n]

Mama, don't fear the rain.

Mama, set your pain out to dry.

Forgive, Mama.

I did.

[t]

Learn to live, not without me,

But with my memory.

And with the rain.

[h]

The rain washes away your tears now,

As you kneel in the garden,

And I will be always be there with it.

With you.

For, as someone said,

Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass,

It's about learning

To dance

In the

Rain.


End file.
